The developers wanted the game to feel mysterious and chaotic, and in keeping with this the flow of narrative relies on a good deal of flashbacks and flashforwards. The basic controls and fighting technique are taught in the beginning of the game, after which we jump back to the beginning of the story, which plays out as follows:
You are Alan Wake, a well known suspense/horror author who is traveling to the quiet Washington town of Bright Falls with his wife in an attempt to get his creative juices flowing and overcome his several year writing slump. After some player-controlled chatting with the natives — including a few foreboding characters — at the local diner, the action is kicked into gear when Alan gets into a car accident and wifey goes MIA. Soon, shadowy, maniacal axe-wielding townspeople called “The Taken” start to really put a damper on your vacation, emerging from the darkness with nothing but bad intentions. When one of the Taken hurls a weapon at you — as they seem fond of doing — time slows down, giving you the opportunity to use Alan’s ability to leap out of the way (that is, unless you leap head on into another baddie). Similarly, when you do certain things, like knock out a whole group of enemies, the camera will pan out cinematically and time will slow, showcasing your awesomeness. Nothing like Max Payne, right?
It quickly becomes obvious that light is your friend in this game, as shining your flashlight onto the possessed minions of evil will stun them and strip their protective darkness away, and pumping a few rounds into them from your pistol will finish them off. Similarly, light is used throughout the game to keep Alan safe and help defeat the dark forces that have fallen upon the mountain town. Health is also regenerated by standing in lit areas, and as even animals and inanimate objects become enemies, any source of light becomes a weapon: A spotlight, flares, headlights on a car, and flashbang grenades, to name a few. Remedy has released only enough game footage to really get us salivating, and a lot is still unknown about the game, so don’t be surprised to find bigger and badder weapons later in the game.
One thing that is known is that the story is intricate and full of twists and turns, such as when Alan starts finding pages scattered about from a manuscript that he wrote, with absolutely no memory of having written them. Oh, and the events in the story are coming true! Twisty enough for you? Just as one question is answered, another is brought up, much in the same style as some of the more popular shows such as Lost, Prison Break, or 24. In line with this, the game is even broken up into chapters that begin with a “Previously on Alan Wake” recap, and end on a “To be continued” cliffhanger.
Overall, this looks like an incredibly promising game, with an involved and interesting storyline, great atmosphere and visuals, solid voiceovers, and a satisfying fighting system. It’s due to be released in North America on May 18th, and in Europe on May 21st. Preorder here, or check out the trailer and screenshots!
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